The Inside Story Podcast

This year's NATO summit in Turkiye is overshadowed by the Iran war. The U.S. wants allies to help it protect shipping in the vital waterway, but what are the risks? In this episode:  David Des Roches, Professor at Thayer Marshall Institute and former NATO Operations Director  Alam Saleh, Senior Lecturer of Iranian Studies at Australian National University Patrick Bury, Defense and S...

Mounting violence in Mali. A coalition of rebels and armed groups has carried out another series of assaults, highlighting the military government's failure to contain the attacks. With the junta under increasing pressure, how will it address this growing security threat? In this episode:  Kabir Adamu, Managing Director, Beacon Security and Intelligence Nadina Ronc, independent geop...

Promising to crack down on crime and promoting strong ties with President Trump - right-wing populists are winning elections across Latin America. Is this a passing phase coming out of voters' economic and safety concerns or a lasting shift? And will this tie the region more to the United States? In this episode:  Jose Ragas, Historian and Assistant Professor, Catholic University of Chile.&nb...

Long lines at petrol stations in one of the world's largest energy producers. Relentless Ukrainian strikes have caused a fuel crisis in Russia. Will economic pressure turn into a political problem for President Vladimir Putin - and move the Kremlin towards talks with Kyiv? In this episode:  Alexander Bratersky - Political Analyst and an Independent Journalist.  Oleksiy Gonchare...

China's new ethnic unity law has come into effect. Rights groups and activists overseas say it will further shrink the rights of minorities. Will the law help forge a shared national identity, as Beijing says? Or is it a step towards forced assimilation? In this episode:  Einar Tangen, Senior Fellow, Centre for International Governance Innovation Zumretay Arkin, Vice President, World Uyghur C...

Pakistan has said India's suspension of a decades-old treaty could amount to an act of war. And tensions between the two are already high. So, how could they avoid a further escalation? In this episode:  Siddharth Varadarajan, founding editor of the independent investigative news organisation, The Wire Michael Kugelman, Senior Fellow for South Asia at the Atlantic Council Zeeshan Salahud...

The Rapid Support Forces are trying to seize the strategic southern city of el-Obeid from the Sudanese military. Rights groups are warning of a potential humanitarian catastrophe. But why is the battle to control the city so important? In this episode:  Ali Mahmoud Ali, Sudan Researcher with the Armed Conflict, Location & Event Data project Kholood Khair, Founding Director of Confluence A...

A June 30th deadline set by anti-migrant groups for undocumented foreigners to leave, has come and gone. Thousands protested across the country, against what they say is a broken immigration system. So, what's driving this debate? And what are the political, economic and diplomatic costs? In this episode:  William Gumede, Associate Professor at the University of the Witwatersrand Nomvula Moko...

Several senior politicians have been detained in a wave of arrests. The government says it's just the beginning. But is this about graft, or is politics involved? In this episode: Ahmed Rushdi, President of the think-tank, House of Iraqi Expertise Foundation Renad Mansour, Deputy Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House Manuel Pirino, Regional Advisor for Middle East...

The Democratic Republic of Congo takes Rwanda to the International Court of Justice. Kinshasa seeks to hold Kigali responsible for the war in the eastern DRC. But can international law help end one of Africa's longest running conflicts? In this episode:  Demas Kiprono, Executive Director at the International Commission of Jurists, Kenya. Kambale Musavuli, Analyst at the Center for R...

Crimea under a state of emergency. The move comes as Ukraine intensifies attacks on the Russian-controlled region. Kyiv says its aim is to press Moscow to end the war. But is that realistic? And why is Crimea so critical to the wider conflict? In this episode:  Leonid Ragozin, independent journalist who focuses on Russia, Ukraine and Eastern Europe. Yulia Kazdobina, Senior...

Death and destruction after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela. The disaster comes just months after U.S. forces abducted the former president. So, how may that impact the flow of aid from Washington? And what kind of politics are at play? In this episode:  Jan Eagland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council Chris Gilbert, Professor at the Bolivarian Universi...

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has wrapped up his three-day tour of the Gulf. Regional states want a greater say in security--after coming under attack during the Iran war. So, can Washington rebuild trust with its regional allies? And will Gulf states be able to steer the future of the Strait of Hormuz? In this episode:  Abdulla Banndar Al Etaibi, Assistant Professor of International Rela...

Benjamin Netanyahu says he's grateful to the US for its military aid but that it's time for Israel to build its own weapons-production capacity. The Israeli prime minister's announcement comes as tensions grow over the US agreement with Iran. But demand soars for Israel's weapons — its arms exports hit a record $19 billion last year. Supporters say that it strengthens Israel's ability to sta...

Keir Starmer is the latest to step down, after nearly two years in office. He'd been expected to put an end to the political chaos. So, what went wrong? And what does it mean for the future of the UK? In this episode:  Jennifer Nadel, Co-Founder of the cross-party think tank Compassion in Politics. Tim Bale, Professor of Politics at Queen Mary University of London. Zaid M Belba...

The US and Iran have finished the first round of talks with an agreement on a roadmap to a final deal. But is there enough trust to end the conflict? In this episode:  Mohammad Eslami - Research Fellow at Tehran University.  Kenneth Katzman - Senior Fellow at The Soufan Center.  Zeidon Alkinani - Founding Director at the Arab Perspectives Institute.  Host: Anna Burns-Francis&nb...

Iranian armed forces say they've closed the Strait of Hormuz after Israeli attacks on Lebanon, just days after an agreement with the U.S. reopen it. Disruption to the crucial waterway has had a huge economic impact worldwide. So, what happens next?  In this episode:  Ian Ralby - Senior Fellow at the Center for Maritime Strategy and Associate Fellow with the International Law Programme at...

A landslide win, only two years ago - yet now UK prime minister Keir Starmer's resisting calls to step down. The return to parliament of Andy Burnham makes a leadership challenge more likely.  What's gone wrong so fast, for Starmer? And why so much turmoil at the top of British politics?  In this episode:  Peter Oborne - UK Political Commentator and Associate Editor of Middle East E...

Fury from Israeli ministers over the agreement US President Donald Trump has signed with Iran.  And a sharp rebuke in response from his vice president JD Vance. What are the implications for Israel and its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu?  In this episode:  Gideon Levy, Columnist at Haaretz newspaper  Mairav Zonszein, Senior Israel Analyst at the International Crisis Group M...

China calls for stronger representation for the Global South. It warns that the international rules-based order is at a critical crossroads. Beijing says it has a solution to a more equitable system. But does it have the leverage and tools to enforce it? In this episode:  Steve Tsang, Director of the SOAS China Institute Cobus van Staden, Head of Research at the China-Global South Project All...

Kyiv has just started formal talks to join the bloc. It comes after Moscow declined an offer of direct talks to end the war. So, would membership protect Ukraine? And what would it mean for Europe? In this episode:  Peter Zalmayev, Executive Director at Eurasia Democracy Initiative Theresa Fallon, Director at the Centre for Russia Europe Asia Studies Alexander Bratersky, indepe...

An agreement between Washington and Tehran has all but ended the Iran war, both claiming victory despite the huge cost. Among that is damage to Iranian relationships with its Gulf neighbours, which it attacked. So, what has Iran won and lost in the region from this war?  In this episode:  Ali Akbar Dareini, Researcher at the Center for Strategic Studies in Tehran.  Roxane Farmanfarm...

The UK says it's banning access to social media for those under 16. Its government argues it's the right choice to protect young people from online harm. But will this policy work? And how will it be enforced? In this episode:  Dr Charlotte Armitage, Psychologist and Psychotherapist and author of Generation Zombie: Why Devices Are Harming Our Children and What We Can Do About It Paolo Ge...

The annual G7 summit is set to be held in France. But this time, differences within the group are growing. From tensions in the Middle East to the war in Ukraine, can the G7 help resolve global crises as geopolitical realities shift? In this episode:  Jacques Reland, Senior Research Fellow, Global Policy Institute. Scott Lucas, Professor, US and International Politics, Clinton Insti...

The European Union's new migration pact is now in force,, tightening border controls and overhauling asylum rules. Will it reduce migration to Europe? And what does it reveal about the political forces shaping the bloc? In this episode:  Marta Welander - EU Advocacy Director, International Rescue Committee. Nathalie Tocci - Professor of Practice at Johns Hopkins University SAIS Europe. Pieter...